Columbus, Ohio – The 1999 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championship Runner-Up Ohio State will return to Columbus on Sun., April 25. The team will be arriving at Port Columbus International Airport at 6:12 p.m. on TWA flight 276 from St. Louis. Head coach Miles Avery and the team will be available for interviews and comments regarding the competition. The coach and team will also be on hand upon their arrival at Larkins Hall at approximately 7:00 p.m. %^$

%^$Head coach Miles Avery said, “Finishing as the second-best team in the country is an extremely worthy accomplishment and is certainly nothing to be ashamed of. It means even more because people counted this team out even before the season started. I am not disappointed with our performance. After all, we are the second-best team in all of the United States. I am very proud of these guys and this team and all they have accomplished.”%^$

%^$The Buckeyes scored a 230.85 to claim the runner-up trophy, while Michigan won and Nebraska was third. The men’s gymnastics team has had a long string of success in the history of the NCAA Championship. Included among that success is 19 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Championship, two national titles, 66 NCAA All-Americans and 16 NCAA Individual Champions. This season’s team includes six All-Americans (Peter Landry, Doug Stibel, Jamie Natalie, Daren Lynch, Tim Elsner and Michael Morgan), three Big Ten Champions (Landry, Stibel and Tim Elsner), Nissen-Emery Award finalist (Landry) and the highest-ranking collegiate gymnast from the prestigious Winter Cup National (Jamie Natalie), a competition that gathers the best mens gymnasts in the land.